Abraham Avery

Biography

ABRAHAM, bap. 6 March, 1691-2, son of Capt. Thomas Avery and Hannah Minor; married 14 March, 1727, Jane Hill, bap. 8 March, 1703, daughter of Jonathan Hill and Mary Sherwood. He was a farmer, settled in Montville on land given by Owaneco, the Sachem, to Jonathan Hill for the kindness shown to him by saving him from drowning. This Avery farm was later owned by John H. Adgate, and is now known as the Adgate place. The original farm house in which Capt. Thomas Avery lived stands on the road from Montville Center to Norwich, a few rods east of the schoolhouse, now owned by Keeney H. Barnes. Abraham Avery and his wife were both members of the Hillhouse Church. His wife died 26 July, 1744, and on the 1st day of Oct., 1751, he married Sarah Copp, daughter of Dea. Jonathan Copp. He died 23 June, 1761.

Family

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Avery-175

Abraham Avery, son of Thomas and Hannah (Minor) Avery, was baptized on 6 March 1691/2 at First Church of New London.[1]

He married Jane Hill, daughter of Jonathan and Mary (Sharswood) Hill of Montville, on 14 March 1727 at Montville, with whom he had 9 children[1]:

1. Jane (Avery) (1727-); may have married James Chappell
2. Mary Avery (15 Sep 1729 - 3 Oct 1729)
3. Thomas Avery (1730-1815)
4. Hannah (Avery) Smith (1732-); married Daniel Smith
5. Ruth Avery (1735-1772); married Abel Griswold
6. Jonathan Avery (1737-1805); married Preserved Smith
7. William Avery, b. 7 Mar 1739; unmarried; d. before 9 Oct 1770 @ Willimantic, Connecticut
8. Nathan Avery (1741-bef.1766); married Deborah Thomas
9. Abraham Avery (abt.1744-1817); married Rebecca Stevens

His first wife, Jane, died on 26 July 1744, thereafter Abraham Avery married Sarah Copp, daughter of Jonathan and Catharine (Lay) Copp, on 1 Oct. 1751 at Montville, Connecticut.[1]

Abraham Avery died on 23 June 1761 at Montville, Connecticut.[1]

Note: An online memorial represents that his grave is in Woodland Dell Cemetery, Wilbraham, Hampden County, Massachusetts, USA [2], which is unlikely. Close observation of the depicted engraving indicates that it is on the face of a collective family memorial stone, probably not a grave marker.

1. Note: Baptized March 6, 1692, First Church of New London. Abraham married March 14, 1727, at Montville, New London Co., Conn., Jane Hill, daughter of Jonathan and Mary (Sharswood) Hill of Montville. Jane was baptized March 8, 1701/2 at the First Church of New London. Abraham Avery and his wife were members of the church at Montville. In 1724, he was on of the committee to lay out the minister's land; in 1737, he was on of the society's committee; in 1750, he was chosen elder of the church. He was prominent in affairs connected with the Indians, being, in 1733, one of the grand jurors whose duty it was to look after all derelictions of the Mohegan Indians. In 1746, he was one of the committee to arrange that the Indians attend the parish church. He lived and died on his homestead which was on the Norwich road, North Parish, and was given him by his father, about March 20, 1722, on condition that he care for him and his 'now spouse' during their natural lives (New London Deeds). His wife died July 26, 1744, at Montville, October 1, 1751, he married at Montville, Sarah Copp, daughter of Jonathan and Catherine (Lay) Copp, of Montville. She was born Dec. 3, 1712, at Montville. Abraham Avery died June 23, 1761, at Montville, Conn. Abraham and Jane (Hill) Avery's children were born at Montville, New London Co., Conn.
2. Baptism: 06 MAR 1691/92 New London, New London Co., Connecticut
3. Note: 1st Church

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Severe laws had been enacted regulating the sale of intoxicating liquors to the several tribes of Indians in the colony of Connecticut, but they were broken with impunity, and rum was brought among them by the gallon, and cider by the barrel, in defiance of law. At the session of the General Assembly held in October, 1733, a law was passed particularly for the benefit of the Mohegan’s, and was upon the petition of Ben Uncas. These are the exact words as they are found in the colonial records:

"An Act for the more effectual Preventing the Selling Strong Drink to the Mohegan Indians: Whereas, Ben Uncas, Sachem of said Indians has complained to this Assembly that, notwithstanding the laws now in force to prevent selling strong drink to the Indians, there is now continually much strong drink sold to the Mohegans, by means whereof their estates are impoverished, their manners debauched, and themselves rendered more untractable to receive the Christian faith, for remedy whereof,

“Be it enacted by the governor, council and representatives in General Court Assembled, and by the authority of the same, and it is hereby enacted and declared, That all Cyder, Rhum, and other strong drink that shall hereafter (till this Assembly order otherwise) be found with any of the said Indians, without the allowance of Messrs. Adonijah Fitch, and Abraham Avery, living in said Mohegan, shall be forfeited to our Sovereign Lord the King, the produce of it to be improved for the good of the Mohegan Indians. " And the said Adonijah Fitch and Abraham Avery, and each of them are hereby appointed and impowered to make search after such strong drink, and to seize and secure the same, and to libel against it as forfeit for any assistant or Justice of the Peace, when the forfeiture is not above forty shillings, otherwise before the County Court in the County of New London, and the said Adonijah Fitch and Abraham Avery are hereby chosen and appointed Grand Jurors for the County of New London till this Assembly shall order otherwise, who shall be sworn accordingly, and they are directed especially to make diligent search after, and due presentment of all breaches of the laws made to prevent the selling strong drink to the Indians. "

And it is further enacted, That when any strong drink shall be seized as aforesaid in the custody of any of the said Indians, if such Indian or Indians shall inform of whom he bought such drink, and give evidence thereof, so as such vender, besides the penalties already by law established for such offense, shall forfeit to such Indian twice the value of the drink seized as aforesaid, and the authority before whom such vender is convicted shall give sentence accordingly. This Act to continue in force till the first day of May in the year 1735."

source: History of Montville, Connecticut: Formerly the North Parish of New London .. By Thomas Hardy

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References

1. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38134357
2. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Avery-175 cites
   1. https://archive.org/details/grotonaveryclan01aver/page/137/mode/1up The Groton Avery clan by Avery, Elroy McKendree; Avery, Catherine Hitchcock Tilden. 1912. Pages 109, 137-8, no. 26
   2. Find A Grave: Memorial #38134357
   3. Wheeler, Richard Anson. History of the Town of Stonington, County of New London, Connecticut, p. 202, no. 34: https://archive.org/stream/historyoftownofs00whee_1#page/n224/mode/1up